China's zero Covid policy: What is it actually? Read to know

Protesters are pushing for laws to be relaxed, even though China is experiencing a rise in new cases.

What are China's restrictions?

China has one of the world's strictest anti-Covid regulations. The measures include:

Local authorities must institute stringent lockdowns even if only a few Covid cases are discovered.

Mass testing is being conducted in areas where new cases have been recorded.
People with Covid are quarantined at government institutions or secluded at home.
In lockdown zones, businesses and schools are shuttered.
Shops must also close, except those selling food.
Lockdowns are in effect until no new illnesses are reported.

Tens of millions of people have been subjected to some form of curfew. Some municipal governments have taken extreme measures, such as requiring workers to sleep inside factories and work while being isolated.

Workers at the Foxconn factory in Zhengzhou, which manufactures iPhones, organised a major strike in early November, fearing they would be locked inside. In August, shoppers in a Shanghai Ikea store forced their way out through the doors to avoid being locked inside.

However, specific regulations have been loosened. Isolation is now limited to eight days rather than 10, with five days at an isolation centre and three at home. For the first time since March 2022, China is now allowing international arrivals.

FAQs:

1. How many Covid cases does China have?
   China just saw its first Covid-19 death in six months. It registered 40,052 new Covid cases on Monday. This is up from 39,506 on Sunday and surpasses the previous high of April. The number of instances each week has exceeded 200,000.
2. What are the vaccination statistics in China?
   Only about half of Chinese people aged 80 and up have received their first vaccination. Only around 60% of people aged 60 to 69 are completely immunised. The elderly are the most vulnerable, and China has urged them to be vaccinated.